Vice-Provost, Faculty Affairs
Patrizia Albanese shares her experience at TMU and the work of the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Affairs.
"My top priority as VPFA is to cultivate a collegial environment at TMU where faculty and academic staff find TMU a rewarding place to build their careers and where they have the opportunity to be engaged in meaningful work that matters to them."
The Vice-Provost, Faculty Affairs (VPFA) is the administrator of the university's collective agreement with its faculty, and provides leadership in employee relationships with the Toronto Metropolitan Faculty Association (TFA) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Biography
Patrizia Albanese is the vice-provost, faculty affairs effective February 12, 2024.
A dedicated leader, Patrizia has more than 20 years of TMU experience, first as a CUPE contract lecturer while completing her PhD and then as a faculty member since 2003. She has held many roles throughout her time with the university, including professor in the department of sociology, interim chair of criminology, interim director of arts and contemporary studies, chair of the TMU research ethics board, and associate dean, scholarly research and creative (SRC) activities and graduate studies in the faculty of arts.
Outside of TMU, she was president of the Canadian sociological association and president-elect and chair of the board of directors of the federation for the humanities and social sciences.
Patrizia is known across the university for her collegiality, integrity and visionary leadership. Her work is grounded in a commitment to equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion; her relationships with students, staff, and colleagues are firmly built on respect and trust. She co-chairs the faculty working group for the presidential implementation committee to confront anti-Black racism and the community well-being steering committee, and is a member of the core advisory group for the fall 2023 sexual violence policy review.
Prior to taking on the role of vice-provost, faculty affairs, Patrizia was the associate dean, SRC and graduate studies in the Faculty of Arts. There she held responsibility for two large portfolios, supporting approximately 100 research faculty and overseeing 10 graduate programs. Patrizia also chaired a search committee for a Canada Excellence Research Chair in democracy and social inequality.
In her research, Patrizia explores policies affecting children, youth and families. She is currently wrapping up a large project with the City of Toronto’s Data for Equity unit. She is the 2018 recipient of the Canadian Sociological Association’s outstanding contribution to the discipline of sociology award and the outstanding service award (2019), the Faculty of Arts’ Dean’s Service (2019) and the leaders’ circle recognition award.